I think you guys are misunderstanding something here. I am not pro-'sympathy purchase'. This does not mean you are forbidden from buying all LFS bettas-- it just means that you don't give your business to stores who take awful care of their bettas.
If the cups are clean and the bettas look okay, you are doing the right thing by supporting them whether they are Wal-Mart, Petco, Mom & Pops or Aquabid. And if they aren't, take the betta to the manager and give 'em an earful. If they are fully competent at their job they have no reason to neglect these bettas... it's a catch-22 for them. If they don't comply with either giving you an obviously dying fish as a rescue or treating the betta themselves (and THEN giving the fish department a makeover), just go to their boss.
So therefore I would have to say you are doing as much of a service to betta welfare by buying at a pet store who treats their bettas acceptably as you are by refusing to support sub-standard fish departments.
I have contacted health departments, peta, and corporate stores amongst other places about the well being and cleanliness of grocery stores and how the fish are taken care of. I actually have caused a huge stink at one store. Most people do not care to hear my rantings, but some do listen and fix the problem temporarily. I live close to a Meijer, if anyone knows what that is and they always have Betta's and I know I shouldn't buy them from there, but I cannot help it. Some of the fish just look so sad and pathetic and sick, it breaks my heart so I buy them.
I know I shouldn't, but I don't have the money to order all these expensive fancy fish off the internet, and I feel a lot better saving fish that could potentially die from the ignorance of others. I constantly go to this Meijer store and check on the Betta's they get in. I just went in the other day and they had about 30 Bett'as and most of them had about an inch of water. So, I filled all of their water up and treated it. *I'm nosey and know where they keep the conditioner and food* I just want to see that Betta's get the best care possible.
It's the same at my Meijers here!! I complained too, about there being about an inch of water for the bettas to live in. The cups are bigger than the ones at Petsmart but what good is that if they only put an inch of water in it? Then the cup has that stupid tube in the middle and they say that the bottom of the tube can't be covered so they can get air.
I have contacted health departments, peta, and corporate stores amongst other places about the well being and cleanliness of grocery stores and how the fish are taken care of. I actually have caused a huge stink at one store. Most people do not care to hear my rantings, but some do listen and fix the problem temporarily. I live close to a Meijer, if anyone knows what that is and they always have Betta's and I know I shouldn't buy them from there, but I cannot help it. Some of the fish just look so sad and pathetic and sick, it breaks my heart so I buy them.
I know I shouldn't, but I don't have the money to order all these expensive fancy fish off the internet, and I feel a lot better saving fish that could potentially die from the ignorance of others. I constantly go to this Meijer store and check on the Betta's they get in. I just went in the other day and they had about 30 Bett'as and most of them had about an inch of water. So, I filled all of their water up and treated it. *I'm nosey and know where they keep the conditioner and food* I just want to see that Betta's get the best care possible.
*Sigh* I wish I could own thousands of them.
I understand how it feels.... talk to the manager about buying them for cheaper, and every time go a little cheaper... Soon he will be giving the sick ones away to you...
Just because they were "farmed", "sick" and/or "mistreated" in the store does not mean we should deprive them of the right to deserve a better life. People who "save" betta fish or any animal in general provides them with that opportunity since they are helpless and without the means to provide it for themselves.
No matter how much it may have to do with the emotion of pity or sympathy, what people do when they "rescue" is out of pure kindness, love and humanity of their hearts.
In my opinion, the best thing to do for the betta is to take his cup in to the manager and say, look. This animal is going to die. You haven't taken good enough care of it, and it is miserable. This is how you SHOULD take care of a betta, and if you were to do this, you would most CERTAINLY sell more of them than you do now. It takes only five minutes time and almost no training. You can't sell this creature for full price if it's going to die in a day. I want to help this fish. I'll buy it for half price. Or you can give it to me for free, since it will be dead in about five hours if you don't.
If they refused, I would still buy the fish. That fish did nothing to deserve what it is getting. If I was being sold in a container the size of a port-a-potty, filled with my own feces, I would want to be rescued. Granted, fish aren't human beings. But I'm sure they know that their lives suck when they're being neglected. That fish won't understand that you're rescuing eight other fish (by the way, those guys will be shipped elsewhere, so you're probably not doing anything anyway). All it will know is that it is suffering, and nobody's helping it. And then it will die.
Probably the best way to go if you want to serve the "many" is to work for legislation to regulate the way bettas are sold. Long shot, but if it worked, it would be fantastic.
I agree with CodeRed, BakaMandy, and those of the similar opinion. No matter how many times you complain to Walmart, or whatever other chain store, they won't care. People want to believe bettas can go into a vase with a peace lily and never be fed, they don't want to hear that they must get at least a 2.5g tank and change water and feed them, etc. I've argued with several managers, and whether the fish dies or not, they're getting their money. If the fish dies, they still get paid for it. They don't care whether the fish is healthy or not. They won't give discounts, they won't give them free no matter how horrible of conditions the fish are in.
Like BakaMandy said, life is precious, no matter what form it's in. You are saving a betta from death, or an ignorant owner. If the betta dies, 8 more are still going to be sent in its place. I'll rescue any betta that I have the room and money to devote to his/her life. Whether it's from Walmart or Aquabid. They're still living things and they can't help the situation they're in.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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